Automobile transmission



May 21, 19290 H. B. PHILIPS AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION Filed May 11, 1927 -2 Sheets-Sheet L5 75 Accelera/ox M VENTOR ATTORNEY May 21, 1929. v PHILIPS 1,713,713

AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION Filed y 11, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Ma 21, 1929.

UNlTED STATES HERMAN B. PHILIPS,

PATENT 'OFFHCE.

or'NEw YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION.

Application filed May 11,

provide transmission mechanism between the i, driving and drlven shafts of an automobile which includes a clutch device that is normally free as distinguished from the clutch of the usual transmission mechanism which is normally set and is released only by the application of the drivers foot.

Another object of the invention is to provide a transmission device for the communication of power from the driving shaft to the driven shaft including clutch mechanism that is set or gripped as a result of the speeding up of -the motor and motor shaft and coincident with the feeding of gas to the motor. A still further object of the invention is to provide a clutch mechanism for transmis- .sion gearing which includes a fiy wheel having a clutching surface, the fly wheel being so connected or associated with the driving shaft as to be speeded up following the starting ofthe motor and at the'same time is caused to move lengthwise of the driving shaft to bring the clutch surface into action with a corresponding clutching surface carried by the'driven shaft, and means to resiliently cushion the driving connection between the driving shaft and the H wheel first mentioned and for restoring the y wheel to its normal position when the driving shaft is retarded in its rotation from any cause.

A still further object of the invention is to provide additional clutch mechanism with associated .clutch lever mechanism so as to v insure perfect control of the machine when runnin down grade, stopping, or at any time when te machine is overunning the motor.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodimentthereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like 1927. Serial No. 190,428. i

reference characters designate the same parts 1n the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sec tion through the main parts of the clutch mechanism, the direction-of movement of the machine being toward the right.

' Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are detail views in side elevation as from the plane of the line 44 of Fig. 3, showing the different positions of the foot lever mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the initial gripper mechanism for the fly wheel shown in the nature of a wedge,

Referring now more specifically to the; drawlngs, 10 indicates a motor shaft hav'- ing a disk-like collarll, an externally threaded hub 12, and a hearing or hub extension 13 at its rear end. These parts are all connected rigidly together by any suitable means.

14 indicates a fly wheel or clutch shell having a flat clutch face 15 and a hub portion 16 having threaded engagement with the hub 12 and with a quick pitch thread. Secured to the rear edge of the rim of the fly wheel 14 is an annulus 17 having an auxiliary clutch surface 18 opposed to and spaced from the clutch face 15.

19 indicates a spiral spring having its ends connected at 20 and 21 to the periphery of the disk or collar 11 and the flywheel, respectively. The direction ofthe motor shaft being as indicated by the arrow thereon and the flywheel tending to remain stationary momentarily because of its inertia of rest, the.

hub 12. At the same time the spring 19 is wound upor placed under tension, such tension remaining stored u in the spring until the power or speed of t eengine is reduced at which time the unwinding or recoiling of the spring 19 will restore or tend to restore .the fly wheel to its normal forward position as shownin Fig. 1.

In alignment with the driving shaft is the driven shaft 22 having a reduced forward end 23 upon which is slidably and non-rotatably mounted a sleeve 24 which constitutes a yoke collar having a groove 25 and also a hub portion or spider26 which carries a plurality of bell crank levers 27 pivoted at 28 and projecting radially outward and forward and having their fulcrums or bearings 29 hearing against the rear surface of the clutch disk 30 locatedjw ithin the fly such as a series of coil springs 35, 36, and 37 may be interposed between the spider or sleeve 24 and the clutch disk 30. The spring is shown as the strongest and tends;to keep ,the sleeve and disk separated. The spring 37 bears at one end against the sleeve and at the other end against a cap 38 carried by the front end of the driven shaft. The spring tends to hold the sleeve forced rearward along the driven shaft and is superior instrength to another spring 39 located between the sleeve and the main portion of the driven shaft and acting as a cushion resisting mod eratelythe rearward movement of the sleeve. The-bearings 29 of the bell cranks 27 have slidable as well as rolling contact with the Y 1 rear surface of the disk 30, and when the sleeve 24 and'disk 30, are brought relatively toward each other, the main arms of the-bell cranks 27 approach parallelism with the disk 30, causing the bearings 29 to move outward to ward the periphery of the disk 30, and the toe portions 31 to swing rearward with the tendency to force the clutch ring 32into cooperation with the clutch surface 18. This relative movement of the sleeve 24 and disk 30 may be effected iii-various ways. The usual procedure is for this result to be effected because of the rearward movement of the fly wheel and the contact between the clutch face 15 and the clutch disk, such movement of the fly wheel being sufficient to eventually cause the disk 30 to move rearward and produce the result just described with respect to the auxiliary clutch. i I

(lo-operating with the annular groove 25 ofthe sleeve 24 is a yoke 40 fixed upon a rock shaft 41 journaled in any suitable bearings 42 at the rear of the clutch mechanism. To the rock shaft 41 is fixed a short lever or arm 43 from which a link 44 leads to an arm 45 journaled at a fixed point 46 upon a bracket 47, and associated with which arm 45 is an arm 48 having what may be termed a rule joint connection at 49 with the arm 45 and having I a spring 50 tending to. maintain a stiff joint between the two arms 45 and 48 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The arm 48 has a head or lug 51 with which co-operates a roller 52 mounted upon a foot lever 53 journaled loosely upon the rock shaft 41.- 54 indicates a brake rod connection having a pin and slot connection at 55 with the foot lever 53.

Whenever desired, as when the car is traveling down grade or tends to overrun the speed of the motor and at which time the fly wheel will probably occupy its normal forward position as shown in Fig. 1, and with the main clutch members disconnected, the driver by pressing forward on the foot lever will cause the same to approach or assume the position of Fig. 5 at which time the roller 52 will strike and wipe against the lug or head extension 51 of the combined arms 45 and 48 and cause, through the link 44, the swinging of the short arm 43 toward the rear or to the left in Fig. 5, and the rocking of the shaft 41 and the throwing of the yoke 40 tothe right in Fig. 1 or forward, causing thereby the movement of the sleeve24 forward and'thereby constituting another means for bringing the sleeve 24 and disk 30 into, proximity to each other.

Consequently both the auxiliary clutches 18 and 32 and the main clutch 15, 30 will be set,-thereby coupling the engine with the driven mechanism and constituting the engine a braking means as is well known in automobile driving, this taking place in connection with the direct control of the foot'brake through the continued pres sure of the foot forward against the foot lever 53. When the lever 53 is pushed forward to its maximum the roller 52 will pass the head. 51 of the arm 48 and when the foot lever returns again to normal position, the roller 52 will roll under the extension 51 as shown in Fig. 6, the joint at 46 breaking against the force of the spring 50 so as to allow the roller 52 to pass beyond the extension 51 and back to normal position as shown of the periphery of the fly wheel as indicated.

at 58 when and only when the fly wheel occupies its-forward position. The wedge 56 may emanipulated by any convenient means for which purpose I showa rod 59 which is associated with the accelerator'mechanism and which consequently is actuated in the direction the arrow'of Fig. 7 coincident with the actuation 'of the acceleratoim This movement of the rod 59 is resisted by means of anyjjsuitable spring attached thereto, not

shown, and which resists the actuation of the accelerator in a well'known manner. 60- indicates a spring connecting a stop or anchor 61 to a slidable sleeve 61 and to which-the link 62 is connected. The adjustment of the slee-ve6l is determined according to the condition of the weather or other clrcumstances affectmg the operation of the accelerator.

\Vhen the rod is actuated alink 62 acting as ward as above described and automatically takes the flywheel out from under the shoe.

56. The. shoe is returned to itsnormal. position' as a result of the return of the fly wheel to its normal forward position-in its proper timely recoil of the spring 19.

connection with one another. portion of the rod 54 is adjustable tovary The toe portions 31 of the bell cranks lie 1n grooves or depressions 31- of the auxiliary clutch so as to keep these parts in constant the-effective length of the rod for proper setting of the mechanism, and I wish to point out also that the foot lever 53 must be properly adjusted with respect to the arms and 4850 that when the roller 52 begins to roll along the top of the head 51, the foot lever will have commenced to act upon the brake through the rod 54. Consequently, while the roller 52 is rolling alongthe upper surface of the head 51, the brake is being set by the foot and will be so malntalned while the foot lever held forward even through the roller 52 1s,no longer active upon the clutch setting mechanism. It follows therefore that by the actuation of a single foot lever, the clutch and brake mechanisms are both adapted to be opcrated,a part of the. time together, and the foot brake mechanism always under the control of the foot.

On starting the motbr, the rotation of hub 12 in the stationary flywheel 14, will, due to the direction of the threads on said hub, cause said flywheel to move rearward or away f rom member 11. so that the clutch face 15 will engage clutehdisk 30 and move the latter in a corresponding direction, and in turn the bell crank levers 27 to move the member 32 into.

clutch engagement with the member 18. The flywheel then comes to a stop as far as movement along saidshaft is concerned. But the continued rotation of the shaft 10 will rotate the flywheel through the engaging hub 12. and the flywheel will in turn transmit rotation through the rods 33 to the driven shaft 22. here, however, the car speedsahead of themotor, the inertia of the flywheel will The slotted cause the same to move on the threaded hub toward member 11 to, disengage the clutch disk 30, and this action is aided by the spring 19. On speeding up the motor. the clutch disc is again engaged as aforesaid.

The clutch 18, 32 provides a gripping action auxiliary to that of the main clutch 15,

30. .There is also another purpose served by the clutch 18, 32 in that the bell crank levers 27 are thus caused to act between the said clutches in.the manner of wedges and thus greately increase the grippingaction of'the invention.

' I cla 1m 1. In transn'iission mechanism. the combination of a driving shaft, a driven shaft,

clutch mechanism between the shafts, mecha-- nism serving to cause the setting of the clutch whenever the driving shaft speeds up ahead of the driven shaft, said clutch mechanism comprising a rotary member hav ng two spaced opposed clutch surfaces, a pair of other clutch surfaces interposed between the I first mentioned pair, and having cooperation with the first pair respectively, and mechanism between the elements of the second pair of clutch members tending to support them and to bring themrespectively into co-operation with the elements of the first mentioned pair.

, 2. Mechanism asset forth in claim 1 in which the mechanism for set-ting the several pairs of clutch members includes a series of nation of a driving shaft having a threaded hub, a fly wheel journ'aled upon the driving shaft and having a clutch surface, a driven shaft, clutch mechanism mounted upon the ,driren'shaft and co-operatin with said clutch surface, means to cause fire setting of the clutch as a result of and coincident with the speeding up of the driving shaft ahead of the driven shaft, and means to move said clutch mechanism independent of the speeding up of the drivingshaft toicause the clutch 'to engage the shafts together.

5. In braking mechanism for automobiles, a driving shaft, a driven shaft, clutch mechanism between the two shafts whereby the i driven-shaft may be coupled to' the driving shaftfor bringing the engine into action as a brake, a brake lever for the actuation of a difi'erent braking mechanism,andmechanism actuated by the brake lever for setting the clutch mechanism aforesaid, said -ClllbCh mechanism being normally engaged as a result of a speeding up of the driving shaft, and released: automatically as the engine speed drops below that of the driven shaft.

6. Mechanism as set forth in claim 5 in which the'mechanism actuated by the brake} the driving-shaft is speedingnp and automatically releasing its grip upon the flywheel after being initially gripped,

nation of a driving shaft having a threaded hub, a driven shaft, a clutch membercarried .upon-the driving shaft and having limited independent rotation thereon, clutch connections between the driven shaft and the lever'serves'to bring into action the clutch clutch member aforesaid, said clutch memmechanism preliminary regular brake mechanism. A

7. In transmission mechanism, the combi--" nation of a driving shaft having a threaded. hub, a.fly wheel journaled upon the driving shaftand having a clutch surface, a driven shaft, clutch mechanism mounted upon the to the setting of the;

driven shaft andco-operatin' with said a clutch surface, means to cause t ieLSettmg of thereto,; and a spiralcushion spring" an-v storedup therein when thedrivingnsliaft I ing up of the driving-shaft ahead of the the clutch as aresult of and coincident with the-speeding up ofthe drivingshaft. ahead of the driven shaft, the driving shaft ,being provided with a collar fixed chored at its respective ends to said {.aollar her. having a threaded portion mating with the threaded hub of the driving shaft, whereby Whenthe driving shaft is speeded up, the threaded hub thereof will causethe setting'of the clutch. mechanism and coupling of the driven shaft. with the driving shaft, resilient cushioning mechanism between the driving shaft and the clutchmember so as to cushion the relativemovements of the driving shaft and-clutch member and tending to return the clutchinember to normal position on the slow-. ing down ofthe driving shaft.

10'. In transmission 'Inech' nism.'the com:

bination with a driving shaft, a driven shaft, "clutch n'eans between the driving and driven and fly wheel, thespring having tension; sl1aft s,l,andmeans serving to set the clutch shaft and co-operating with said clutch sur-T face, means to cause the setting of the clutch as a result of and coincident with the'speedg mg up of the drivin shaft aheadlof the driven shaft, the flyw eel havinga smooth cylindrical periphery andigrippmg mechanism rovided to grip said periphery to in-l sure the retardation of the fly .wh'eelwhile mechanism directly as a result'of the speeddriven shaft, of auxiliary clutch mechanism mechanism after the speed of the driving shaft becomes reduced below that of the driven shaft, the means for actuating the auxiliary clutch mechanism being a lever having connection with brake mechanism in addition to connections direct with the clutch mechanism, means being'provided ermitting consecutive action of the clutch," rake and clutch, and brake alone.

v In testimony whereof I affix mv si nature.

' HERMAN B. PH IPS.

serving to perpetuate the setting of the clutch.

. 9; In transmission mechanism, the combi- 45 

